Mobile Data Terminal Emergency Response Integration Project

Mobile Data Terminal Emergency Response Integration Project

The Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) Emergency Response Integration Project was undertaken in response to a grant/directive from the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). https://www.miemss.org/home/ This grant funded directive was intended to provide MIEMSS with EMS system assurance as it relates to Information Systems and the enhancement of the Maryland local EMS systems’ data interface with MIEMSS electronic patient tracking.

Charles County’s EMS was the State’s local EMS entity chosen to implement and demonstrate the interface enhancement.

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

The purpose of the MDT Emergency Response Integration Project was to consolidate the multiple Charles County Government (CCG) emergency response tools currently used by CCG EMS personnel with the MIEMSS Healthcare (HC) Standard Patient Tracking application. • In 2009, MIEMSS identified and fielded a patient tracking system to be used statewide, the

MIEMSS HC Standard Patient Tracking application • Adoption of the HC Patient Tracking Application by local Maryland EMS organizations was

lagging • MIEMSS’ responsibilities include ensuring that identified system goals and objectives are

met and problems addressed • As part of MIEMSS’s EMS System Assurance efforts, the Maryland Bioterrorism Hospital

Preparedness Program Project, Emergency Medical Services Grant award of $89,000.00 was provided to Charles County ES to obtain the software and equipment necessary to interface with the MIEMSS electronic patient tracking application

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

Project Objectives

• Integrate a functional device/interface with MIEMSS HC Standard Patient

Tracking application • Produce a scalable solution that integrated the MIEMSS HC Standard Patient

Tracking application with the County’s existing ImageTrends EMS Field Bridge Patient Reporting and Keystone Fire Mobile applications

• Minimize emergency vehicle on-board equipment • Minimize training requirements • Provide direct cost savings, both initial and on-going

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

The existing mobile system in use by Charles County EMS was composed of the following components: • Aging MDTs (Panasonic Toughbook C29s), which ran on the Microsoft XP O/S, were

mounted in ambulance/rescue vehicles Integrated 3G radios and GPS modules for data communication and location tracking

• ImageTrends EMS Field Bridge Patient Reporting application is used to assist medics in generating complete, real-time electronic patient care reports in a mobile environment

• Keystone’s Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Fire Mobile application is used to interface with the existing CAD system to display call notes in “real time” to ensure situational awareness for responding units.

MEIMSS HC Standard Patient Tracking Application

The HC Standard Patient Tracking application provides the ability to: • Enter patient information via a mobile interface, including patient demographics, vitals,

chief complaints, field treatment, photographs, sound, and video • Utilizing internal GPS, the patient location is mapped and transportation information is

logged, including the time the patient leaves the scene and the time the patient arrives at the destination facility

• Through the reporting function of HC Standard, receiving facilities have access to real-time data showing patients in route to their facility, along with all patient information gathered on-scene

• Transportation officers have real-time access to hospital bed availability • Incident commanders have the ability to view real-time reports of the total number of

patients and their priorities • Through this integrated system, data on a patient can be tracked at any point as the

patient moves through the EMS system.

MEIMSS HC Standard Patient Tracking Application

Developed by Global Emergency Resources (GER), the HC Standard Patient Tracking application originally utilized bar code scanners, such as the handheld Motorola MC75 3G running a Windows Mobile O/S application. • These scanners were used to scan the barcode of the patient’s Maryland triage tag

and started the process detailed on the previous screen

In addition to the Motorola Handheld units, GER offered: • An Android Phone device application which was not quite ready to purchase or pilot • An iPhone device application which was also not quite ready to purchase or pilot

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

The following items needed to be considered: • the daily use of the existing EMS applications • the upgrade paths of the existing EMS applications • the HC Standard Patient Tracking Web Portal • the desire to integrate the MEIMSS HC Standard Patient Tracking app with the

existing EMS applications • advances in mobile technology in both applications and devices The components of the project did not easily lend themselves to an integrated solution, however due to CCG EMS staff needs, it was determined that an integrated solution was a necessity.

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

The following elements were considered essential: • a mobile device that was ruggedized • a common O/S platform for all applications • a touch screen interface • a built-in scanner • 4G LTE and GPS capable With the above criteria driving the system configuration, and a replacement for the existing outdated MDTs in mind, the best option available in the near future was determined to be a Windows 8.1 based solution.

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

A ruggedized tablet was preferred in order to accommodate the mobile nature of a patient tracking scenario in a mass casualty setting We required that the ruggedized include an integrated scanner to accommodate the HC Standard Patient Tracking Triage Tag scan. The integrated scanner eliminated the need for a separate piece of hardware, which in turn • eliminated the need to train EMS staff on another piece of hardware • eliminated the need for IT to track and audit additional hardware

Ruggedized Mobile Device running Windows 8.1 Triage Tag

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

Verizon Wireless provides the best 4G LTE coverage of any wireless carrier in the County, therefore we needed a Verizon certified 4G LTE modem with a Windows 8.1 driver • none existed at the onset of the project • we worked with Verizon Wireless and wireless modem engineers through the

testing/certification process of the driver

We needed all of the vendors on-board with providing a Windows 8.1 compatible application • Both ImageTrends EMS Field Bridge Patient Reporting application and

Keystones’s CAD Fire Mobile app were MS Windows applications and they proved capable of running in a Windows 8.1 environment with only minor changes

• We shared our design needs and vision of an integrated EMS field MDT with GER and asked them to write a Windows 8.1 compatible HC Standard Patient Tracking app. They agreed!

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

With all the components in-place, we had an integrated tool set for EMS staff that fit their environment and their needs with true cutting edge state-of-the-art technology. The technology employed for the Charles County Maryland Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) Emergency Response Integration Project consists of the following:

• Hardware – Intel Based Ruggedized Mobile Tablet – Getac F117 – Integrated 4G LTE – Integrated GPS – Integrated Bar Code Scanner

• Software

– Microsoft Windows 8.1 – ImageTrends Field Bridge – HC Standard Patient Tracking – CAD/Fire Mobile

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

MDT Emergency Response Integration Project

Project Accomplishments

• Offers a new level of patient tracking services to local residents in times of need • Provides the capability for emergency responders, public safety agencies and the public health care

system to respond to homeland security events, as well as to complex incidents involving a variety of hazards

• Produces a creative, scalable solution that integrates mass casualty event management with every day ES data capture/management requirements

• Minimizes equipment and reduces training requirements • Provides direct cost savings • Creates better intergovernmental cooperation and coordination

With 20 G1TEC MDTs currently in use, the project is considered a success!

MIEMMS is extremely pleased with the work Charles County has done in this arena and intends

on using the solution as a model for other Maryland city and county EMS jurisdictions.

Presented by:

Charles County Government Fiscal and Administrative Services

Information Technology

Mission Statement The mission of Charles County Government is

to provide our citizens the highest quality service possible in a timely, efficient, and

courteous manner. To achieve this goal, our government must be operated in an open and

accessible atmosphere, be based on comprehensive long- and short-term planning,

and have an appropriate managerial organization tempered by fiscal responsibility.

Vision Statement Charles County is a place where all people thrive and businesses grow and prosper;

where the preservation of our heritage and environment is paramount, where government

services to its citizens are provided at the highest level of excellence; and where the

quality of life is the best in the nation.